“If given an opportunity to withdraw from their union, nearly a quarter (23 percent) of Michigan public employees would do so, according to a MIRS/Practical Political Consulting (PPC) survey of identified state and school employees and their families.”

That may be understating the possible decline. When Wisconsin reforms ended forced dues payments for school and government employees, membership in teachers unions fell 30 percent according to union sources, and reportedly by more than half in some other government unions.

Under current Michigan law, most school and government employees are forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Unless a state has a right-to-work law, federal law imposes the same “pay-up or else” mandate on employees of unionized private-sector companies.

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Unions are not required to represent those who do not pay dues, and under a right-to-work law their ability to engage in collective bargaining is in no way diminished. Right-to-work simply means that both public- and private-sector employees who don't support a union can't be forced to pay for one.

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